Filmmaker: No blame for Benghazi

The filmmaker behind a controversial video that initially was blamed for inciting violence in the Middle East that led to the attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, says the Obama administration was irresponsible when it blamed him for the attacks.

Nakoula Bassely Nakoula, who spoke in a phone interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper after being released from prison for a probation violation, said he was “shocked” when he was blamed for the attack.

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“I never thought my movie can cause anyone any trouble or anyone can get killed from my movie,” Nakoula said.

Nakoula only said “no comment” when asked whether he thought the administration had put him in danger or whether he blames then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the trouble the film caused him, but he said he does not hold President Barack Obama personally responsible.

“President Obama, I like him personally,” Nakoula said. “I don’t blame him. He has a lot of responsibilities. We need to make separate between the president and the administration.”

Though the State Department said it never concluded the film was to blame, administration officials including then-Ambassador Susan Rice and press secretary Jay Carney made comments after the attack implicating Nakoula’s film, “Innocence of Muslims.”

Confirming Tapper’s assertion that Nakoula thought the administration was “irresponsible,” Nakoula said he would advise the administration to think before acting.

“Before you do anything, please give yourself time to think about it, because you are responsible people. You are in a place you have to be responsible in,” Nakoula said.

The actress in the film was also suing Nakoula, claiming she was misled into what kind of film she was acting in. Nakoula said he tried to explain but the actors didn’t care, and he said he made them famous.

Nakoula defended the film as anti-terrorism, not anti-Muslim, and said the Boston bombers would have been deterred from carrying out their attacks if they had seen the movie.

“My movie is not a religion movie. It’s a political more than a religion. I never be against any religion. I have a Muslim friends. I am against the terrorism culture,” Nakoula said.